Understanding More About Alzheimer"s Disease
Has someone you love started forgetting people's names, people that they should never forget such as family members? Have you noticed other things about them such as how they can no longer seem to balance the checkbook? Does he/she misplace things and do you find them in a strange place like the refrigerator or the dryer? Has his/her mood or behavior changed so that you never know from one time to the next what the mood will be? Has he/she lost initiative? Would he/she rather sit in front of the television or sleep than interact with you or others? Are familiar words sometimes being forgotten and replaced by words that do not fit the pattern? These are all signs that you should have your loved one evaluated by a medical professional.
He or she could have Alzheimer's Disease.
Although a lot of people see to have it, Alzheimer's is not a natural form of aging.
About 5 million or so people have this degenerative disease that was first discovered by Alois Alzheimer in 1906.
Today we know much more about this degenerative brain disorder that destroys brain cells and is the 7th most common cause of death in the U.
S.
Although there is some treatment, there is currently no cure available for Alzheimer's Disease.
New drugs have been made that seem to slow the progression of the disease and make it possible for the person to live a more normal life for a longer period of time but death is still a certain outcome and the person who has the disease will lose him or herself long before this happens.
There are seven identified stages in the disease: 1.
No impairment 2.
Some impairment 3.
Mild mental decline 4.
Moderate mental decline 5.
Moderately severe mental decline 6.
Severe mental decline 7.
Very severe mental decline A picture of the inside of the brain could show the tangles in the brain that cause the mental confusion that the Alzheimer patient faces.
Most Alzheimer victims die within six years of diagnosis but may have had the disease undiagnosed for a longer period of time.
Risk factors for this disease include: 1.
Age 2.
Family history 3.
Genetics 4.
Those that you can change Risk factors that you can change include head injury, the heart-head connection and amount of oxygen that goes to the brain cells, unhealthy aging.
It has been proved that seniors who stop participating in crafts, hobbies, and family life are more likely to develop Alzheimer's.
It is not true that memory loss is just a normal part of aging.
People can retain a sharp memory until they die.
Alzheimer's is not just an "old person's disease".
People as young as their 30's can have symptoms and develop the disease.
If you are going to be a caregiver for an Alzheimer patient there are a few precautions you should take.
Locks on bedrooms and bathrooms and other inside doors of your home should be removed so that the patient cannot lock him/herself inside.
Keep all chemicals and cleaning supplies securely locked away and out of reach.
All dangerous items such as matches, knives, guns, etc should be locked away out of reach.
All medicines should be labeled and out of reach.
You will need an automatic shut off switch on your stove so that you can prevent them from using it.
When you become the caregiver for your Alzheimer patient, you will switch roles.
Maybe you always counted on your mother or father to take care of you; now you will take care of them.
You will become the parent and he/she will be the child.
This person may have always been in charge in his/her life.
You will have to be flexible to deal with this change.
If you go out for pizza and your child orders macaroni and cheese, don't be surprised if the Alzheimer's patient wants it when it arrives.
You always have to be prepared to make adjustments.
Alzheimer's patients sometimes have difficulty communicating.
You will have to work with him/her so that he/she does not become frustrated and the frustration turns to anger.
Join a support group so that you can communicate with others who have Alzheimer's in their family.
This is not a disease to tackle alone.
Try to keep your life as normal as possible.
Have someone on call who can give you a break when you need to do something else or when the frustration gets to be too much.
Sadly Alzheimer's is a life sentence; no one recovers.
He or she could have Alzheimer's Disease.
Although a lot of people see to have it, Alzheimer's is not a natural form of aging.
About 5 million or so people have this degenerative disease that was first discovered by Alois Alzheimer in 1906.
Today we know much more about this degenerative brain disorder that destroys brain cells and is the 7th most common cause of death in the U.
S.
Although there is some treatment, there is currently no cure available for Alzheimer's Disease.
New drugs have been made that seem to slow the progression of the disease and make it possible for the person to live a more normal life for a longer period of time but death is still a certain outcome and the person who has the disease will lose him or herself long before this happens.
There are seven identified stages in the disease: 1.
No impairment 2.
Some impairment 3.
Mild mental decline 4.
Moderate mental decline 5.
Moderately severe mental decline 6.
Severe mental decline 7.
Very severe mental decline A picture of the inside of the brain could show the tangles in the brain that cause the mental confusion that the Alzheimer patient faces.
Most Alzheimer victims die within six years of diagnosis but may have had the disease undiagnosed for a longer period of time.
Risk factors for this disease include: 1.
Age 2.
Family history 3.
Genetics 4.
Those that you can change Risk factors that you can change include head injury, the heart-head connection and amount of oxygen that goes to the brain cells, unhealthy aging.
It has been proved that seniors who stop participating in crafts, hobbies, and family life are more likely to develop Alzheimer's.
It is not true that memory loss is just a normal part of aging.
People can retain a sharp memory until they die.
Alzheimer's is not just an "old person's disease".
People as young as their 30's can have symptoms and develop the disease.
If you are going to be a caregiver for an Alzheimer patient there are a few precautions you should take.
Locks on bedrooms and bathrooms and other inside doors of your home should be removed so that the patient cannot lock him/herself inside.
Keep all chemicals and cleaning supplies securely locked away and out of reach.
All dangerous items such as matches, knives, guns, etc should be locked away out of reach.
All medicines should be labeled and out of reach.
You will need an automatic shut off switch on your stove so that you can prevent them from using it.
When you become the caregiver for your Alzheimer patient, you will switch roles.
Maybe you always counted on your mother or father to take care of you; now you will take care of them.
You will become the parent and he/she will be the child.
This person may have always been in charge in his/her life.
You will have to be flexible to deal with this change.
If you go out for pizza and your child orders macaroni and cheese, don't be surprised if the Alzheimer's patient wants it when it arrives.
You always have to be prepared to make adjustments.
Alzheimer's patients sometimes have difficulty communicating.
You will have to work with him/her so that he/she does not become frustrated and the frustration turns to anger.
Join a support group so that you can communicate with others who have Alzheimer's in their family.
This is not a disease to tackle alone.
Try to keep your life as normal as possible.
Have someone on call who can give you a break when you need to do something else or when the frustration gets to be too much.
Sadly Alzheimer's is a life sentence; no one recovers.
